Written by Steve Cannon for USSA News.
Where does the government get off telling people that they can’t go to work, or go to a park, or that they can’t shop for everyday items? Do the Constitution and Bill of Rights somehow get magically suspended because a bug is going around? Do laws just spring up from the ground when someone coughs? The answer is a resounding, “No.”
For weeks now, I have been reading countless stories about people being arrested for doing absolutely nothing illegal; like surfing alone in the ocean, or playing T-Ball with their six year old boy in a public park. This is insanity! To make matters worse, most people are listening to the politicians and the police as if they know better. They do not.
In an earlier article, I explained that when you’re a hammer, the whole world is a nail. Nothing has changed. To the police, everyone is a criminal. To the politicians, everyone is a serf. To a tech CEO, everything can be solved with more tech.
The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are most important in a time of crisis, such as a pandemic. Our rights as U.S. citizens are God-given, not government-given. They are “unalienable,” which means that no man can take them away, ever! But during this Covid-19 pandemic, all I see are sheep surrendering their rights to the police and to the government.
If a cop arrests you for being outside, ask him which law you are breaking. If he explains that it’s an executive order from the mayor or governor, then tell him to pound sand. An executive order is not law. An executive order is you telling your kid to take out the garbage. Other than that, it has no weight.
We as Americans have a God-given right to protest our government for a redress of grievances (among others). Again, this is not a government-given right. Government officials and police cannot tell you what you can and can’t do because they think they know better. Politicians in a far off land cannot have you arrested because that’s what they want.
Would you honestly listen to some random guy walking down the street if he told you to go home and lock the door for a month? Obviously not. Then why are you doing it now? Is it the uniform? Is it the tone of his voice? Probably. This is why the Jews listened to the Nazis during WWII. It’s called, The Milgram Effect. People somehow feel compelled to listen to other people they believe are in a position of authority, especially if they wear an official looking uniform.
I understand that people want to be safe, but there is a balance between being safe, being governed, and being free. Many governors and mayors seem to think it is their job to rule over you because they think they know better than you do. They think that they’re keeping you safe by being tyrants.
Look at the mayor of NYC, Bill de Blasio, or Governor Whitmer of Michigan, or even Governor Murphy of New Jersey. All have given the police the authority to arrest anyone who disobeys their ridiculous commands, and they have. Again, a command is not law and carries no weight.
On a side note, these leaders don’t follow their own orders and do what they please. “Do as I say, not as I do.” Additionally, how is arresting someone who is surfing alone making anyone safer by tossing him in a crowded jail cell? Oh that’s right, they’re letting criminals out of prison for their own safety.
The politicians are the ones who screwed this whole thing up by reacting and panicking without any thought whatsoever. Did anyone stop and think that isolation of healthy people who committed no crime might do more harm than good? Where’s the science that says isolation will save you from this virus?
All of these knee-jerk reactions were politically motivated because politicians wanted to appear to do the right thing as quickly as possible…so they’ll get re-elected and keep their cushy, corrupt jobs. No science or thought was ever used when these extreme decisions were made.
For proof, look at Sweden or one of the eight states, such as Utah, that weren’t locked down. After adjusting for population size, age groups, geography, and so on, the eight states and Sweden had slightly fewer cases of the Coronavirus with a slightly lower death rate than states and countries that shut down completely. Science.
$100 says when this is over, those same politicians will say the death rate would’ve been much higher had they not locked their municipalities down. “We saved lives,” they’ll scream, all while defending the suspension of our rights. And they’ll say this without any scientific proof whatsoever. Guaranteed.
When this pandemic first started, we were told that the death rate was 30 times that of the flu. Two months later, the death rate is actually slightly lower than that of the flu. Science. And if their models and predictions are so good, why are they adjusted and corrected on a daily basis? Um, because they were wrong the day before, that’s why.
Politicians and bureaucrats seem to think their job is to control the people. They have forgotten their place. They have forgotten that the people of this country revolted against tyranny and started a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Even after creating our initially small and well thought out government over 240 years ago, today’s politicians think that we’re morons and hold us, the ones who gave them power, in contempt.
We are intelligent people. We know how to wash our hands, keep our distance from one another, stay healthy if we so choose, and so on. But for some reason, the government feels compelled to be our mommies and spend our precious hard-earned money. They waste it on things like this…a hand-washing video. (Mind you, this is only one of four hand-washing videos the government spent our money on because we’re stupid and they know better.)
We do not need the government telling us how to be safe, and we certainly don’t need them to arrest us if we’re not being “safe,” as defined by them. Has anyone gotten arrested for skydiving or smoking a cigarette? These are horribly unsafe activities, but perfectly legal and acceptable.
Science has told us that most people will get this virus with no symptoms, thereby becoming immune to it in the future and also not being able to spread it. But politicians won’t let you hear that. They lose their power if you know the truth. Veritas Libertati Scutum (Truth is the shield of Freedom).
And what about the people that are infected? What should we do about them? If infected people are not aware that they’re infected, they should be told they are. Most people will self-quarantine to prevent themselves from infecting others. The few that don’t should be forced to stay at home until it’s safe for them to be around other people. We do the exact same thing for criminals. For example, everyone knows that murder is wrong. If you commit murder, then you are isolated from the public in a prison cell because you’re deemed a danger to the public. Any person who knows that they’re infected and intentionally disobeys a self-quarantine order should be handled the exact same way. Isolate that person until the threat of spreading the virus has been eliminated. The rest of the uninfected, healthy population should be free to do as they please.
The silver lining is this: several governors, mayors, and sheriffs around the nation have refused to lock down their citizens. Places like South Dakota are still free thanks to Governor Kristi Noem upholding her oath of office. More and more protesters are also showing up in places like Lansing Michigan to tell Governor Gretchen Whitmer to go straight to hell.
Freedom is not free. We must fight for it everyday. No politician can protect you from death. That said, obviously no one wants to die, especially from the Coronavirus. But by locking everyone up to keep us “safe,” the politicians have all but destroyed the economy by forcing millions of people to be out of work and countless businesses to be closed forever.
Great job politicians, everyone is safe from the virus now that they’re imprisoned! Oops, now they’ve lost their jobs, incomes, and are now homeless, hungry, unhealthy, and sicker than ever. Where can I re-elect you?
Now that you forced me to lose my job, my income, and my health insurance (let alone self-esteem) are you going to provide me with all of that? What? You are? Great! I always wanted to be a communist. Don’t you like my AOChe shirt? Not!
No one wants to be told what to do, how much they can earn, and how many hours they must work, especially by the government. Luckily, Americans don’t have to thanks to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. But, like Benjamin Franklin said, We have a republic, “if we can keep it.” Can we? It’s seems we may not if we don’t educate ourselves and begin to push back against a government that’s encroaching on our rights.
Individuals can weigh their own risks. People can decide if they want to risk getting sick versus putting food on the table for their families. Some will work from home, others will go to the office. Some will quit their jobs, others will work two jobs. People know what’s best for them, not politicians. It is not the government’s job to micromanage every decision of every individual in the country. That ideal is called, communism. And it starts by changing the language.
Notice how people were “self-quarantining”? (The government’s phrase). In reality, only sick people can be “quarantined.” The rest of us healthy people were under “house arrest” or “imprisoned.” Self-quarantining doesn’t sound nearly as threatening as being under house arrest or being imprisoned, now does it?
Do not let anyone tell you how to think or what to do. Your freedom, and mine, depends on it. Resist and fight back!